Australian Dollar Slips on Weak Retail Sales

SYDNEY—An unexpected fall in November retail sales hurt the Australian dollar Wednesday—traders said the weak data reinforces the case for interest-rate cuts.

Sales fell 0.1% to A$21.53 billion in November from A$21.55 billion in October but rose from A$20.93 billion a year earlier, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said Wednesday. Economists had expected a 0.3% rise. The contraction follows a flat October.